The morning at Argus Academy began with a light atmosphere. The square still had the vital smell of the fresh morning, but every student seemed to be absorbed by the water and the effects. Bice stood to the side, his eyes watching the crowd, but his thoughts were far away. He was trying to understand what was happening to this world that was once only a figment of his imagination.
The ceremony was over, but Bice could not shake the feeling that something important was about to happen. There was a strange tension all around, and even the bright magical spheres that decorated the academy building could not hide this feeling. He repeated the words of the system over and over in his head, trying to understand what his role was in this world where he became part of his own history.
No matter how hard he tried to be attentive to the surroundings, his gaze kept returning to the girl who appeared most often in his frames. He could not understand what was in her frames that made his heart beat faster. This was not just entertainment. This was something more.
But for a moment his thoughts were interrupted by a figure walking towards him. It was her, that girl. She had just passed through the gates of the academy, and her face was covered in a slight shadow, as if she was not ready to fully open herself to this world.
Her name was Ariel.
Bice could not help but notice her fragile yet confident presence. Her chestnut hair, like liquid silk, fell to her shoulders, creating an impression of lightness and ephemerality. Dark eyes, not too bright, but penetrating, as if they saw everything that was hidden from others. Her body was slender, even fragile, but there was some extraordinary strength in it. When she walked, her steps were almost silent, as if she left an invisible trace behind her.
Bice felt strange, watching her. He could not understand why, but everything in her behavior seemed familiar. She was a part of this world, but her appearance felt alien.
As soon as she approached the group of students, some of them began to whisper. Ariel didn't pay attention to it. She simply walked, not a slow pace, as if her path was predetermined.
"Who is this?" one of the students asked, attracting Bice's attention.
"Her name is Ariel," another student answered, recognizing her. "She is from the Upper Course. Very quiet, always on the sidelines. But her talent... Don't trust her silence. She is not the type to repeat her thoughts in words."
These words caught Bice off guard. He was not familiar enough with the other students to help everyone, but Ariel clearly preferred it. She was not just a part of the academy. There was some kind of shadow in her eyes, as if important secrets were hidden behind her fragile body.
As Ariel approached the academy building, her gaze crossed with Bice for a moment. It was a brief but unforgettable moment, like lightning piercing the fog. Their eyes met, and Bice felt his heart stop for a moment. There was something familiar in her gaze, something he himself could not understand.
He stepped forward, but at that moment, Ariel had already entered the building, leaving him hesitant.
In the evening, when Bice returned to his room after classes, he met her again. It happened at the main doors of the academy, when the students were dispersing in different directions, and the night began to envelop the campus in its soft darkness.
Ariel stood alone, leaning against the door frame, and something significant on the scroll. A light breeze stirred her hair, and her eyes were glued to the lines written on the ancient paper. Bice could not resist the temptation to take it.
"Ariel," his voice sounded unexpected, even for himself.
She looked up at him. Her gaze was dark, but there was a lot hidden in it, like a deep ocean. There was a whole universe in her eyes, waiting to be revealed.
"You wanted something." Her voice was quiet, but there was something confident in it.
Bice felt his hands sweat slightly. He didn't know what to say. He himself wasn't sure why he had come up.
"I... just wanted to see how you were. Everything is fine," he squeezed out, trying to find some kind of explanation for his strange behavior.
Ariel spent a while, as if searching for an answer in his eyes. Then, smiling weakly, she answered
"Everything is fine. But thank you for your interest."
She returned and looked again at the scroll, which apparently had some kind of power. Bice felt himself become uneasy.
"If there is something you need..." he began, but Ariel interrupted him.
"I can handle it, Bice. But thank you for your concern." She bowed her head slightly, as if thanking him for his attention.
There was nothing special in her tone, but for Bice, these words sounded like a deep being. He didn't know why, but everything in her behavior seemed meaningful.
As soon as she said this, she returned to the scroll again and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the building.
Bice remained standing, still feeling a strange emptiness inside. He didn't know what exactly in her words touched him, but he was sure that she predicted something important happening in the academies.
And something inside told him that her fate and his future were intertwined.